March 2008 Archives
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March 29, 2008
Off to SBL Pacific Coast Regional Meeting
Tomorrow and Monday, I will be at the joint West Coast meetings of the Society of Biblical Literature, American Schools of Oriental Research and the American Academy of Religion at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. My heathen readers have...Read all of "Off to SBL Pacific Coast Regional Meeting"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:00 PM
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March 28, 2008
The Mahdi Army in Basra
If you are interested in current happenings in Basra, and the whole of Iraq for that matter, check out today's post on Juan Cole's Informed Comment, Thoughts on the Middle East, History, and Religion. Cole provides news from Arabic language...Read all of "The Mahdi Army in Basra"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:37 PM
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March 27, 2008
Four Stone Hearth #37 Is Up
The latest edition of the anthropology web carnival, Four Stone Hearth, is up at Hot Cup of Joe. Carl has done an amazing job. Go for the theme, Pulp Science Fiction, stay for the anthropology....Read all of "Four Stone Hearth #37 Is Up"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:51 PM
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March 26, 2008
Do They Really Believe What They Say They Believe?
The epigraph to chapter 12 of Mark Twain's Following the Equator reads, There are those who scoff at the school boy, calling him frivolous and shallow. Yet it was the school boy who said, "Faith is believing what you know...Read all of "Do They Really Believe What They Say They Believe? "
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:44 PM
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March 25, 2008
A Fine Disassemblage
Have you ever wondered how a pottery assemblage comes to be? Well, Martin Rundkvist' cat has created an abnormally interesting one. Check it out at Aardvarchaeology. Notice that one must use the most recent sherds for dating purposes. I'm looking...Read all of "A Fine Disassemblage"
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March 23, 2008
US Airways Not Gun-shy
According to the Carolinas' News Connection, A US Airways pilot’s gun accidentally discharged during a flight from Denver to Charlotte Saturday, according to a statement released by the airline. The statement said the discharge happened on Flight 1536, which left...Read all of "US Airways Not Gun-shy"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:52 PM
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No One To Read The Ancient Writing
Among the things that struck me in the recent report of the discovery of a hitherto unknown Babylonian town in Iraq was this, He [head archaeologist Mohammed Yahya] added that his team has come across several cuneiform tablets but “there...Read all of "No One To Read The Ancient Writing"
Posted by Duane Smith at 3:45 PM
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March 22, 2008
When Is a Pun Not Punny?
I'm still working my way through Scott Noegel's Nocturnal Ciphers: The Allusive Language of Dreams in the Ancient Near East and he has convinced me that puns played a major role in how the ancient Mesopotamians interpreted dreams. He calls...Read all of "When Is a Pun Not Punny?"
Posted by Duane Smith at 6:10 PM
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March 21, 2008
The New Attorney General As The President's Consigliere
Attorney General Michael Mukasey is concerned about "the scope and variety of potential terrorism threats.[CNN]" And somehow that is suppose to encourage Congress to turn their back on the Constitution and as a special bonus give retroactive immunity to the...Read all of "The New Attorney General As The President's Consigliere"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:01 PM
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I Do Love This Time of Year
But unbelievably, I have a good friend who doesn't like azaleas. After all, when they are in full bloom one can scarcely see the plant because all the flowers get in the way....Read all of "I Do Love This Time of Year"
Posted by Duane Smith at 4:47 PM
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March 20, 2008
Chris Heard Is Using Strong Language
“Charlatan,” “twaddle” he exclaims while decrying an upcoming movie from the same folks who brought us The Secret. Chris' degradation into such talk reminded me of another film that I once saw. In 1973, a fellow Gezerite and I were...Read all of "Chris Heard Is Using Strong Language"
Posted by Duane Smith at 9:37 AM
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March 18, 2008
277 Pages of Text and Not a Single Index
I just received and started reading Scott Noegel's Nocturnal Ciphers: The Allusive Language of Dreams in the Ancient Near East. Nocturnal Ciphers The Allusive Language of Dreams in the Ancient Near East American Oriental Series - AOS 89by Scott B....Read all of "277 Pages of Text and Not a Single Index"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:11 PM
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March 17, 2008
What Is Going On Here?
KTU 6.62, an inscription on a broken lion head mug from Ugarit, reads, bn agpṯr pn arw d šʿly nrn l ršp gn Son of Agapsharri Head (face) of a lion that Nūrānu lifted up for Rashaph Guni (of the...Read all of "What Is Going On Here?"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:15 PM
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March 16, 2008
Getting A Little Shuteye
While Shirley and I where watching a 60 Minutes segment on sleeping, Soc was taking a nap. But then this is what he normally does in the 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM timeslot and quite a few other timeslots....Read all of "Getting A Little Shuteye"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:08 PM
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March 15, 2008
Is PZ Myers Habayu? or What Does YLŠN Mean?
I started out to write a hilarious post about PZ Myers of Pharyngula and the upcoming American Atheists Conference in Minneapolis. PZ said this about his preparation for the conference, And I'll be sure to get my horns trimmed and...Read all of "Is PZ Myers Habayu? or What Does YLŠN Mean?"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:41 PM
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March 14, 2008
An Abnormal Day
I never thought I'd see the day when afarensis and Claude Mariottini wrote on the same topic. Pi Day indeed....
Posted by Duane Smith at 2:30 PM
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March 13, 2008
KTU 1.114 - A Student Exercise?
Yesterday I mentioned that Ugaritic tablet KTU 1.114 was a palimpsest and that a small part of the "erased" text is somewhat readable. Here is a picture of KTU 1.114:6-8 cropped from the image of the whole tablet provided in...Read all of "KTU 1.114 - A Student Exercise?"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:57 PM
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March 12, 2008
afarensis Presents Four Stone Hearth 36
Check out the 36th edition of Four Stone Hearth at my blog buddy afarensis' place. There's lots of good stuff there including special sections on Homo floresiensis and the recently announced Palau finds of more small folk....Read all of "afarensis Presents Four Stone Hearth 36"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:54 PM
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That Which Cheers Gods and Men
Gods drinking wine and even getting intoxicated is a theme in many literatures. It even shows up in a fable in the Hebrew Bible. Judges 9:13 reads וַתֹּאמֶר לָהֶם הַגֶּפֶן הֶחֳדַלְתִּי אֶת-תִּירוֹשִׁי הַמְשַׂמֵּחַ אֱלֹהִים וַאֲנָשִׁים וְהָלַכְתִּי לָנוּעַ עַל-הָעֵצִים Then the...Read all of "That Which Cheers Gods and Men"
Posted by Duane Smith at 12:52 PM
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March 11, 2008
A Very Good Day at the Offices
9:00 AM - 10:00 PM: Meeting with CPA on 2007 taxes For the first time in a few years, we are getting a refund from the IRS. Mid-term and long-term, this is not necessarily a good thing; but short term...Read all of "A Very Good Day at the Offices"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:04 PM
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March 8, 2008
The Fall of Adam and Eve and Ethiopian Tourism!
I find attempts to synchronize religious beliefs and modern science abnormally interesting. In fact, most attempts like this one are just plain abnormal. The Holy Books of the two foremost religions – Islam and Christianity – scrupulously explain that the...Read all of "The Fall of Adam and Eve and Ethiopian Tourism!"
Posted by Duane Smith at 2:17 PM
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Why I Blog
After offering his own explanation, Iyov has invited fellow bloggers to explain why they blog. At the highest level I blog because I don't enjoy working crossword puzzles. I am told and choose to believe that a long happy retirement...
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:29 AM
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March 5, 2008
Reducing Moral Turpitude and Making My Life Easier at the Same Time
I just received my very own copy of A New English Translation of the Septuagint. And so far I'm delighted. Since I started my retraining program about three years ago, I'm quite happy in my progress with Ugaritic, Akkadian and...Read all of "Reducing Moral Turpitude and Making My Life Easier at the Same Time"
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March 3, 2008
Biblical Studies Carnival XXVII Is Up
Head over to Kevin Wilson's Blue Cord and check it out. Kevin has done a great job pulling together the best academic posts from February....Read all of "Biblical Studies Carnival XXVII Is Up"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:59 AM
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March 1, 2008
On The Latest Seal du Jour
Again, I'm late to the party. Several bloggers have already commented on the 8th century BCE seal recently discovered by Reich and Shukron in the City of David area of Jerusalem. This seal has been much discussed on the ANE-2...Read all of "On The Latest Seal du Jour"
Posted by Duane Smith at 2:46 PM
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